


Catching Fire

by boneswrites



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt Carlos Reyes, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kissing, M/M, On call injury, Recovery, Team as Family, Worried TK Strand, soft boyfriends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23144038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boneswrites/pseuds/boneswrites
Summary: “Dispatch, we have a 10-33 at our location. Fire has ignited, we need Fire and Rescue, Medical and back up. Three individuals trapped, two officers and one civilian.”“Fire, Medical and back up is on route to you now,” comes the quick reply.“Officer Reyes, report.”Radio static.“Officer Reyes, report.”Silence.“Carlos!”Nothing.Where Carlos and his partner respond to a noise complaint that quickly escalates into a blazing fire, putting their lives in danger. The 126 are called to the scene and TK’s heart drops into his knees when he learns that Carlos is trapped inside the burning apartment. The 126 frantically work to save the officers, and they deal with the aftermath together, as a family.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 47
Kudos: 271





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a Tarlos roll! I got this idea while watching the finale and decided to explore it and this story was born! There will be angst and fluff. I hope you enjoy and feedback is always greatly appreciated!

“We need Fire and Rescue, now.”

Smoke is pouring out of a window on the third floor of the apartment building. A lot of it.

“Dispatch, we have a 10-33 at our location. Fire has ignited, we need Fire and Rescue, Medical and back up. Three individuals trapped, one civilian and two officers.”

“Fire, Medical and back up is on route to you now,” comes the quick reply.

“Officer Reyes, report.”

Radio static.

“Officer Reyes, report.”

Silence.

“Carlos!” 

Nothing. 

*****

It started out as a noise complaint from one of the neighboring apartments. 

The 911 call said there was fighting and sounds of things being broken.

Carlos and his partner had responded, being two blocks away.

They walked up the stairs and knocked on the now-silent apartment door.

“Austin P.D., open up,” Carlos announces.

Nothing.

He knocks again. “Austin P.D.!” 

Then he hears the door being unlocked and it’s being pulled open, just to show half of the woman’s face. 

“Ma’am, your neighbor called 911 to report a noise complaint, said it sounded like fighting and items breaking,” Carlos explains. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yes, that was unnecessary,” the woman replies with a shaky voice. “Everything is fine, officer.”

“Ma’am,” Carlos pushes, his gut telling him something is very wrong inside that apartment. “I’m going to need you to step aside and open the door.” 

“Believe me, everything is under control, officer,” the woman tries again. 

“Ma’am, please open the door and take a step backwards,” Carlos insists. 

Sighing, the woman does as she’s told. Carlos and his partner wait a few beats before he pushes the door with his foot and walks in, his partner behind him and the door closes behind them. Carlos places his hand on his gun holster that’s clipped to his belt but doesn’t draw his weapon.

“Ma’am?” He calls out, walking into the hallway.

And what he sees then, his gut has been right all along. 

“Stupid bitch, I told you to get rid of them!” A man in his late fifties is standing there, his clothes dirty and scruffy beard messy. He has a hand holding onto the woman’s arm, who’s now shaking and in tears. “You’ll pay for this.”

“Let her go,” Carlos says slowly. “No one needs to get hurt here, we can figure this out.”

“Bullshit!”

“Sir,” Carlos has his eyes trailed on the man, while assessing the situation. “Let her go,” he repeats. 

“Not until I find what I came for!’ The man yells, clearly getting more agitated by each passing second.

“What did you come for?” Carlos asks. 

“She knows! She’s hiding it!”

“I don’t, I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman sobs. 

“Ma’am, look at me,” Carlos shifts his attention to the shaking woman. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Please…” she whispers, more tears rolling down her cheek. 

Carlos begins to take a small step forward but before he can move another step, the man is shouting once again.

“Stay right there! Don’t move or I swear!” The man take two quick steps back, still holding onto the woman and grabs something from the table now near him.

It’s a lighter.

Not good.

“I swear I’ll do it,” the man pants.

Carlos doesn’t doubt him.

“No one needs to get hurt,” Carlos repeats. “Put down the lighter and we can talk about this.”

Carlos’s primary goal now was to keep this apartment from going up in flames, potentially putting them all in danger. He’s trying to control the situation, keep it from spiraling but from the look of the man, he’s easily spooked and irrational in his decision making. He’s very unpredictable. 

And just like that, the man is spooked by Carlos’s radio coming online, chatter about back up arriving and that’s all it took for the man to do as Carlos ordered, however, the lighter has been lit before it hits the carpeted floor. Carlos and his partner never even have a chance to reach for their weapons. 

“Shit!” Carlos yells, his brain jumping into action and moving forward to catch the woman who’s been thrown at him.

The man bolts.

“Hey,” Carlos tries to scream after him but it comes out half a cough. 

“I’ll go after him,” his partner, Amber, says, moving through the apartment that’s quickly filling with smoke. 

Carlos turns to look at the front door, the way they came in and finds that it’s now being engulfed by fire. The wallpaper has caught on fire, too. 

“Shit, there’s no way we make it through that,” Carlos says, beginning to pant. 

The fire is spreading quickly, the heat rising, the oxygen level dropping. 

“In there,” the woman weakly says, pointing to a closed door. “Ba—bathroom.”

With all his remaining strength, Carlos helps support the woman’s weight on wobbly legs as they make their way into the bathroom. He lowers her to the floor, her back resting against a wall before calling out for his partner by the door.

“Amber!”

Amber stumbles into the bathroom. “I lost him.” 

Carlos closes the bathroom door then works quickly to wet towels and hands one to his partner and the other to the woman.

“What’s your name?”

“Lilly,” she replies.

“Here,” he helps place it over his mouth, “this should help keep the smoke inhalation to a minimum.” 

She nods her thanks, trying to take deep breaths.

Carlos, holding his own towel, slides down a wall. He moves to hold his radio, pushes the button and speaks. “10-33, 10-33. Fire ignited inside the apartment, suspect has fled. Hallway and front door are blocked with fire, we’re in the bathroom, North East side of the apartment,” Carlos reports and begins to heave. “10-73. The bathroom is filling with smoke.”

“Copy, Reyes. Who’s with you?”

“Amber and Lilly, the apartment owner,” Carlos responds. 

“We need Fire and Rescue, now.”

Smoke is pouring out of a window on the third floor of the apartment building. A lot of it.

“Dispatch, we have a 10-33 at our location. Fire has ignited, we need Fire and Rescue, Medical and back up. Three individuals trapped, one civilian and two officers.”

“Fire, Medical and back up is on route to you now,” comes the quick reply.

“Officer Reyes, report.”

Radio static.

“Officer Reyes, report.”

Silence.

“Carlos!” 

Nothing. 

Carlos can hear the voice coming from his radio, but his arms are too heavy to lift. He feels lightheaded, his vision going blurry and hazy. It’s getting harder to breathe, the smoke growing thicker and thicker. A coughing fit rips through his chest and holding up the towel to his nose and mouth is too tiring now, his muscles screaming at him and lungs fighting for air. He closes his burning eyes and thinks about TK.

His mind goes back to that morning, waking up to sunlight shining into their room, waking up to TK’s glowing face and beautiful smile, his soft and warm eyes, filled with so much love and trust. Carlos’s eyes well up with tears, he doesn’t know if it’s from the smoke surrounding him or from how clearly he can visualize TK against his closed eyelids. Probably both. 

TK had said something to make Carlos laugh, and TK laughed as well, that sound heaven to Carlos’s ears. And he can hear it now. His mind goes to holding TK in his arms, so close, their bare chests were resting against each other, and it’s warm and familiar and safe. Running his hand up and down TK’s back, gently caressing, the tips of his fingers mapping out the soft expanse of the younger man’s skin. And the smile TK had given him then, it took Carlos’s breath away. 

Words went unspoken, the two men lay there, having a conversation with their eyes, seeing into each other’s souls through brown and green gates. Carlos had cupped TK’s cheek, running his thumb over the two-day old stubble on TK’s face and leaned in, pressing the softest of kisses to his lips. TK smiled against Carlos’s lips, kissing him back, just as gently. 

Carlos had dropped TK off at the firehouse that morning, telling him _Be careful, querido._

TK smiled, kissing Carlos’s cheek and replying, _Will do. You too, babe._

With one last thought, Carlos lets go of consciousness, drifting off into the smoke induced darkness.

The thought was TK.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 126 arrive on scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I just want to thank everyone who has commented and left kudos, it really means the world to me! And the response to this story has been incredible, so thank you so much! I'm really enjoying writing this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Feedback is alwats greatly appreciated!

The 126 arrive minutes later, the rig comes to a stop in front of the apartment building entrance and the team hops out, quickly making their way to the officers standing upfront, looking up at the smoke still coming out of the window.

“What’s the situation?” Owen asks, TK right behind him. 

“We’ve got two officers and a civilian trapped in the bathroom, North East side of the apartment. Last contact was almost ten minutes ago,” the officer informs Owen.

TK’s eyes roam over the window, and he knows it’s bad. “Who are the officers?” he asks. 

The officer looks at TK, sympathy in his eyes as he answers, “Reyes and his partner.” 

TK frowns, his forehead creasing and eyes narrowing. He must have heard him wrong, because he said…he thought he said…Carlos is in there…in that burning apartment. TK doesn’t want to believe it, won’t believe it. He looks away for a second and his eyes land on a patrol car parked right there, and those car plates…he knows those plates. Those are Carlos’s patrol car’s plates.

Carlos really is in there.

TK momentarily stops breathing, his heart rate increasing, hammering against his ribcage. He looks back to the window so quickly he thinks he gets whiplash. His eyes are wide with worry and fear, and he wants to speak, wants to say anything, he wants to yell for Carlos, but all sounds are trapped in his throat. He can’t tear his gaze away from the building, he lets out a broken breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He needs to focus to be able to save Carlos. 

The team start moving around him, and he realizes that Owen must have given orders. Orders he didn’t hear. He actually can’t quite hear anything clearly, it’s all muffled, all a blur. And slowly, his dad’s voice starts seeping into his ear.

“TK? TK,” Owen has a hand on TK’s shoulder, giving him a slight shake to grab his attention. 

TK moves his eyes to land on his father’s concerned face.

“You with me, son?”

“Yeah,” TK croaks out. “We have to—we have to—”

“I know, TK, we’ll get them out,” Owen says, giving TK’s shoulder a squeeze. 

TK frantically nods, not willing to except any other scenario. 

“Paul and Probie, be ready with the hose on top of that ladder,” Owen says, pointing to the ladder that’s currently being raised to the third floor. “Masks on,” he instructs and starts walking towards the entrance. 

It takes TK a few seconds to catch up when he feels a supportive hand on his back. “Come on, brother,” it’s Judd’s voice, leading him forward. “Let’s get him out of there.”

Judd and Marjan are tasked with clearing the tenants on the first and second floors, while Owen and TK go straight to the third. 

“Austin Fire and Rescue,” Owen announces and uses the battering ram to bust open the front door. 

The fire has escalated, now engulfing the ceiling and it’s hot, it’s so hot.

“Stay behind me!” Owen yells to TK through his mask. 

TK nods, following his dad’s footsteps to navigate the harsh flames without getting hurt. Their turnout gear is protecting them from the heat and fire, but Carlos…TK shakes this head, he can’t think like that. Carlos is going to be fine. 

“This way!” Owen yells again and gestures with his hand, making his way towards the bathroom. 

He tries the nob, which easily turns and he opens the door. There’s a lot of smoke, having gotten into the bathroom through the gap underneath the door. 

“Carlos!” TK screams and wastes no time in rushing over to his boyfriend’s slumped form, it appears he had slid down the wall, lying horizontally on the cold marble, his shoulder carrying his body’s weight. The wet towel he was been using has fallen to the floor next to him, his face painted with black ash.

“Come on, come on,” TK whispers, pushing two fingers into Carlos’s neck to check for a pulse. His heart threatens to give out on him when he doesn’t feel one. But ever so slowly, he feels a weak thump against his fingers. TK squeezes his eyes shut, slight relief rushing through his veins and quickly regaining his balance. It’s slow, but it’s there. But then TK’s own breath hitches when he realizes that Carlos isn’t breathing. 

“He’s not breathing,” he says in a small voice, almost to himself. Then he looks at his dad through the dark haze around them. “He’s not breathing!” He repeats, louder this time. 

TK takes a deep breath and removes his mask, immediately leaning down and blowing oxygen into Carlos’s mouth while pinching his nose. 

He coughs, placing his mask back on his face and taking another deep breath and proceeds to breathe the air into Carlos’s mouth to fill his lungs.

“Judd, Marjan,” Owen speaks into his radio, “we found them, all three are unconscious. Two are breathing but Carlos isn’t. Get up here as soon as you’re done clearing out your floors.”

“Copy, Cap. We’re almost done,” Judd’s instant response comes through the radio. 

Owen looks over to TK, still breathing for Carlos. He holds his breath, watching his son fight for the man he loves.

And suddenly, a small groan is heard, following by a weak cough. 

“Carlos,” TK whispers, hovering over the officer’s face, his eyes wide and the blue so clear against the gloomy atmosphere. “Babe, can you hear me?”

It takes Carlos a few beats to answer, but he slowly nods. “TK?”

“Yeah, I’m here and I’m getting you out of here,” TK promises and removes his mask once again, placing it on Carlos’s face. “Take a deep breath for me.”

Carlos tries, but another coughing fit catches in his chest.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” TK reassures. “We’ll be out of here in no time.”

Carlos nods, and extends his hand, doing his best to intertwine his fingers with TK’s gloved ones.

“Stay with me, babe, stay with me,” TK pleads, squeezing Carlos’s hand and moves his free one to cup Carlos’s sweaty cheek. “Hey, Carlos.”

But Carlos can’t stay awake anymore, his body too tired and weak. With one last look at TK, his eyes flutter closed. 

“No, no, Carlos!” TK’s heart drops into his stomach.

A loud crash is heard outside the bathroom, grabbing both Owen and TK’s attentions. 

Owen moves to take a look and reaches for his radio. “Judd, Marjan, negative on your move, stay down there. The ceiling has collapsed and compromised entry. We need an extraction, I’ll do a quick survey and give orders,” Owen says and then looks at TK. “We’re not going out the way we came in, I’m going to survey the other rooms for a bigger window we can use for an extraction.”

“Dad,” TK’s voice quivers. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back,” Owen reassures TK and then he’s out the door, disappearing into the fire and smoke. 

It’s three of the longest minutes of TK’s life.

And then Owen is stumbling back into the bathroom. “The master bedroom, we can break the window there and use the ladder to get out.”

“How are we going to get them there?” TK asks, looking at Carlos and his partner and civilian. “Fire extinguishers?” 

Owen thinks for a moment before nodding. “New plan,” he says into his radio. “Reposition the ladder to the North West corner. Judd, Marjan and Paul, I’m going to need you to bring extinguishers to clear a path from the bathroom to the bedroom. We’ll transport the officers and civilian to the bedroom for extraction there. And get three backboards.”

“Copy, Cap,” Marjan replies. 

“Hang tight,” Judd adds. 

“How is he?” Owen asks TK.

“He’s okay, steady heartbeat and his breathing is okay,” TK responds.

A few minutes later, they hear the sound of glass being shattered and their names being called out.

“Owen! TK!” Judd yells, quickly making his way through the fire.

“In here!” 

Judd opens the bathroom door, carrying a backboard and an extinguisher, followed by Marjan and Paul, carrying the same items. 

Marjan drops the extinguisher in her grip. “Used it on the way in,” she tells Owen when he looks at her. 

“Come on, come on,” TK says, his voice on edge as he and Judd work together to move and secure Carlos on the backboard. 

Once they’re ready to move, Judd motions to Paul. “Alright, Paul, hit it.”

Paul uses the extinguisher as they move together, Judd and TK’s legs working in unison as they get to the bedroom. 

Mateo is standing at the top of the ladder, ready to receive the officer. He hands Judd another extinguisher. They get Carlos’s backboard on the ladder, Mateo securing the backboard to the railing and TK hops onto the ladder, pushing Carlos with the help of Mateo.

“Hang on, Carlos, hang on,” TK whispers. 

They reach the bottom of the ladder, Michelle and her team are waiting by the rig. 

“I got him,” TK tells Mateo, “go back up to help.”

Mateo nods, grabbing another extinguisher and quickly climbing the ladder, getting ready to receive the next person. 

TK doesn’t look back up, his sole focus is getting Carlos to Michelle so she can start working on him. Along with the help of Tim, they carry Carlos’s backboard and lower him to the ground, Michelle wasting no time in pressing her stethoscope to the cop’s chest and listening closely. She moves the head of the stethoscope around, to the other side of his chest and then to his sides. TK remains by Carlos’s head, staying close to him yet out of Michelle’s way.

“He’s breathing is slow and shallow,” Michelle says. “He’s wheezing.” She takes the oxygen mask and TK helps her place it over Carlos’s nose and mouth, the young firefighter watching as the mask fogs and clears with each short breath Carlos takes. 

“Increase his O2 output,” Michelle instructs Tim, who quickly fondles with the oxygen tank’s settings.

She listens to Carlos’s chest again, nodding at TK. “He’s stable for now, but we need to get him to the hospital before his airway closes and he needs to be intubated. He inhaled a lot of smoke.” 

TK looks up when he hears Marjan’s voice behind him, calling for the paramedics. For the first time, he notices that there are two more ambulances with their paramedic crews and one team is rushing towards Marjan and Paul. 

“Where’s my dad?” TK asks his teammate.

“He and Judd are bringing the civilian out,” Marjan tells him, panting a little. 

TK nods, looking back down at Carlos and running his hand over his boyfriend’s hair, a soothing gesture Carlos loves. A cough escapes TK’s mouth. 

“Did you inhale smoke, TK?” Michelle asks.

“A little, not much,” TK answers. “He wasn’t breathing when we found him so I was giving him oxygen.”

Michelle’s words are cut off by Owen’s as he climbs down the ladder. “Judd, Mateo, open the water.” 

And after what feels like ages, the apartment is being drenched with water, the smoke increasing and forcing its way out of every window it can reach. 

“Let’s load him up,” Michelle orders as she and Tim lift Carlos and place him on a gurney, pushing him towards the ambulance.

“You okay?” TK asks his dad, getting to his feet.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Owen nods, placing a hand on his son’s shoulder.

They both watch as Michelle pushes Carlos into the ambulance. She looks at Owen and TK over her shoulder. 

“Go,” Owen tells TK. “We’ll finish up here and come to the hospital.”

TK nods, giving his father a quick pat on the shoulder and jogging towards the ambulance, hopping in.

Tim slams the doors shut and gets into the driver’s seat, the sirens wail as they start to move. 

“Is Carlos going to be okay?” Marjan asks Owen, both of them watching the ambulance drive away. 

Owen sighs. “He’s young and strong, he’ll be okay.”

TK and Michelle don’t exchange words, both focusing all their attention on Carlos. Michelle has her best friend hooked to a heart monitor, which tells her his heartbeat is slower than she would like.

TK firmly holds onto one of Carlos’s hand, a reassuring pressure he’s praying the cop can feel. His other hand holds an oxygen mask to his face, Michelle had insisted TK breath in clean oxygen due to the smoke he too had inhaled.

Michelle works to place an IV port in Carlos’s free hand to give him fluids to keep him hydrated. 

It’s TK who breaks the silence, his voice low and nervous. “Michelle, is he going to okay?” 

Michelle lifts her face to look at TK, concern bleeding from her eyes. “He’s inhaled a lot of smoke, TK. We’ll know more when they take x-rays of his chest at the hospital, but he’s strong and he’s a fighter. I think he’s going to be okay with time.”

TK can’t do anything but nod, turning his attention back to his boyfriend. 

And then the monitors start going haywire, spooking TK as he looks up at Michelle, his face crunched up in worry. “What’s happening?”

“His airway is closing,” Michelle replies after using her stethoscope to listen to Carlos’s chest. “I’m going to have to intubate him.” 

Michelle expertly performs the procedure, attaching and squeezing the ambu bag and the monitors begin to calm.

TK lets out the breath he was holding.

They don’t say anything else until they reach the hospital.

A doctor and a couple of nurses are already waiting for them by the ER entrance and they help unload Carlos and quickly their way into the hospital, Michelle relaying all the information she has on Carlos.

“Sir, this is as far as you can go, I’m sorry,” one of the nurses tells TK, stopping by automatic sliding doors.

“He’s my boyfriend,” TK replies, not caring about the desperation pouring from his voice. 

“I’ll come find you,” the nurse promises, her eyes soft. With those words, she turns on her heels and jogs through the door.

TK stands there, his arms falling limply next to his body. His eyes well up with tears but he keeps them at bay. His body feels heavy, too heavy and he thinks his knees will buckle, unable to hold him up any longer. 

Michelle’s arm goes around TK’s shoulder in support. “He’s going to be fine.”

She’s not sure who she’s trying to convince, herself or TK. She supposes both.

TK doesn’t know how long he’s pacing when he hears a familiar voice calling his name.

“TK,” Owen takes long strides towards his son, his face radiating concern. 

“Dad,” TK’s voice breaks as he stops moving.

Owen opens his arms, wrapping TK in a tight hug and holding him as close as possible.

TK returns the embrace, clutching onto the back of his dad’s Austin Fire t-shirt and buries his face in Owen’s neck.

“It’s okay, son. It’s going to be okay,” Owen whispers, running a hand through TK’s hair. A gesture he knows helps calm his son since he was a little boy.

Standing here, in the safety and familiarity of his father’s arms, TK closes his eyes and lets the tears run freely down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am by no means an expert when it comes to firefighter rescues, so I apologize if anything is wrong or inaccurate. I just love firefighting shows!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! A new chapter has arrived! Again, I want to thank everyone who's reading this, leaving kudos and/or commenting, you have no idea how much it means to me! I'm really enjoying writing this and I'm so glad you're enjoying it too! This chapter contains angst, family feels and more angst. But fear not, fluff is on the way! I hope you enjoy this chapter and feedback is always greatly appreciated!

An hour passes by with no word on Carlos or his condition. The firefighters were shown to the waiting room shortly after Carlos was wheeled away. TK hadn’t been able to sit still for long, pacing around the room, nervously brushing his hands against each other. His breathing was heavy, his eyes wide and still slightly panicked and roaming from one thing to another, not focusing on anything. 

“TK,” Owen tries for the third time, his voice soft.

TK shakes his head. “What’s taking them so long? Why haven’t they told us anything yet?”

“I’m sure they’ll update us when they’re ready, son,” Owen replies.

TK worries his bottom lip between his teeth, slightly pushing down on his skin and then moves his tongue over it to sooth the sting. 

“Did you call his family?” Paul asks.

TK nods. “Yeah, I, uh, I called his mom. She’s on the way.” 

Instead of asking TK to sit down, Owen gets to his feet instead and walks over to his son, placing his hands on TK’s shoulders to keep him from pacing for a few seconds. “Come here,” Owen says and wraps his arms around TK, holding him close.

TK doesn’t resist the embrace, he quickly returns it and clutches at the back of Owen’s Austin FD t-shirt. He lets out a broken breath and stays in his father’s arm for a little longer. 

“Carlos is strong, TK,” Owen says when they pull apart.

“But—the smoke, there was so much smoke,” TK responds, his voice low and face crunching up in worry.

“He’s strong,” Owen repeats. 

No one shows up for another thirty minutes, and at this point, TK is ready to storm those hospital walls until someone tells him _something_ about Carlos. He’s getting worked up more and more by each passing second, and it’s not until he hears his name being called from behind that he actually stops in his tracks. 

“Tyler.” 

He turns and sees a petite Latina in her late forties quickly walking towards him, her long, wavy black hair tied up in a high ponytail, her forehead creased and brown eyes big with worry and concern. She’s just a little bit shorter than TK, but in his current state, she might as well be a giant and he a little kid. 

More tears start pooling in TK’s eyes the closer she gets to him and then he lets his head fall forward, his chin hitting his chest. 

“Come here, amor,” she whispers as she draws TK into a hug. 

He returns it, wrapping his arms around her frame and he can’t control how his body shakes in her grip.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she whispers again, a hand traveling up TK’s back and landing on the back of his head as she starts to thread her fingers through TK’s short strands there. 

He sniffs and pulls back, straightening his back and she watches him closely. He gives her a nod.

A small smile flashes across her face as she gently cups TK’s cheek and gives it a light tap.

Then TK clears his throat and turns to face his father. “Dad, this is Camila Reyes, Carlos’s mother.” Then he turns to her. “My dad, Owen.”

“Mrs. Reyes,” Owen extends his hand, which Camila firmly shakes. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Even though I had hoped it would have been under better circumstances.” 

Camila nods. “It’s nice to meet you too, and as did I, Captain. I was hoping it would have happened over dinner with you and Tyler.” 

“We could still have dinner,” Owen gives her a gentle smile. 

Camila nods. “Si. Once my strong boy is out of here, I would very much like that.” Then she turns to TK, who’s anxiety and nervous demeanor is clear as day. “And he’s going to be just fine.” She reaches out and takes TK’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “You hear me, Tyler?” 

Owen’s watches the exchange between them and his heart fills with a little more triumph every time Camila calls TK Tyler. 

“Yes, ma’am,” the tiniest of smiles appears on TK’s face. 

“Buen chico,” Camila replies. “Good boy.” 

TK then introduces the rest of the team to Camila and when it’s her turn, Michelle gets to her feet and hugs Camila. 

“Hi, chica,” Camila smiles at Michelle and hugs her back. 

*****

A doctor approaches them after another thirty minutes had passed by. His expression is unreadable, and it does nothing in calming TK’s hammering heart. He’s standing and looking at the doctor as he walks into the waiting room.

“Carlos Reyes?”

TK nods, looking at Camila as she gets to her feet. 

“How’s my son?” She asks.

“He’s stable,” the doctor replies. “We took some x-rays of his chest to evaluate the extent of the smoke inhalation, then we preformed a bronchoscopy to check his airways. There’s some damage due to the heavy smoke, but the good news is that with oxygen and some rest, he is expected to make a full recovery,” the doctor explained. 

“So, he’s okay?” TK asks, his voice wavering. 

The doctor nods. “He’s still sedated and intubated, and we’ll keep him that way overnight to monitor his vitals and oxygen levels, and if all goes well, we’ll wean him off the sedation and remove the breathing tube in the morning.” 

At the doctor’s words and assurances, TK feels a weight being lifted off his chest and he can let out the breath he was holding. They all can. 

TK puts his face in his hands and squeezes his eyes shut, a tear rolling down his chest. He continues breathing through it and feels a hand come to rest on his back.

“He’s okay, son, he’s okay,” he hears his dad’s comforting voice.

Owen rubs circles on TK’s back, grounding his son. 

TK hears Camila asking if they can see Carlos.

“In a little while, he’s being settled in a room now. I’ll have a nurse come find you when he’s ready. One visitor at a time, though.” 

TK looks up at Camila thanks the doctor. 

“Thank you so much, doctor.”

“No worries,” the doctor replies. “He has a strong support system, which is lovely to see.” 

TK really wants to speak up, to thank the doctor himself, but the words don’t move past his throat. His head is still busy catching up, repeating _Carlos is okay, Carlos is okay_ over and over again. He really hopes this isn’t a dream.

“He’s okay?” TK looks at Owen, his eyes still wide and hesitant. 

“He’s okay,” Owen nods with a smile. 

“And we’ll see him in just a little bit,” Camila adds. 

A nurse walks into the waiting room fifteen minutes later. “I’ll take you to see Officer Reyes now.”

Camila is the first to see Carlos. She follows the nurse down the hall and they stop in front of his room. 

“Take your time,” the nurse says, a small smile on her face as she opens the door.

“Thank you,” Camila nods and steps into the room. 

She takes in a deep, sharp breath at the sight of Carlos lying in the hospital bed. And slowly, she puts one foot in front of the other until she’s standing next to the bed. 

“Oh, mijo,” Camila whispers as she takes a seat on the chair next to the bed. She reaches out, taking Carlos’s hand and holding it tightly. “Mi dulce, dulce mijo _._ ” _My sweet, sweet son. “_ E starás de pie en poco tiempo,” she continues. _You'll be on your feet in no time._

Still, it brings tears to her eyes and hurts her heart and aches her bones beyond words can express at seeing her son lying in that hospital bed. Her strong, tall son, who looks smaller against the white sheets. It’s an unsettling sight and so unlike Carlos. 

She reminds herself that Carlos will pull through this, and he will stand tall once again. She moves toward, enough so she can brush a soft kiss to Carlos’s forehead. 

“Tyler is here, he’ll be here soon,” Camila promises. 

Camila spends another fifteen minutes with Carlos before getting up, giving him another kiss on his cheek and steps out of the room. Walking back to the waiting room, TK spots her and gets up, meeting her in the doorway. 

“Are you okay?” He asks her.

She nods, running her hand up TK’s arm and giving his bicep a squeeze. “Go be with him. His room is down the hall, third door on the left.”

TK nods, takes a deep breath and starts walking. He stops by the door for a few moments, gathering himself and then he’s pushing the door open and stepping inside. 

He takes it all in, the machines surrounding the bed, the steady beeping that’s probably going to bring TK some small amount of comfort, telling him Carlos is alive. His eyes follow the tubes and wires that connect to his boyfriends, and TK can’t help the tears pooling in his eyes at the sight of seeing the cop, lying in this hospital bed, not moving.

TK finds himself sitting in the chair next to Carlos, wasting no time in taking a hold of his hand. “Hey, babe,” he speaks after a few beats of silence. “I’m here and I’m staying right here until you open those pretty brown eyes of yours,” he promises. 

His only response is the _beep beep_ of the heart monitor. 

The firefighter gets up and very slowly and carefully sits on the edge of the bed, trying to get as close as he can to Carlos, making sure not to disturb any of the wires or accidentally jostle Carlos.

He looks at Carlos, his eyes landing on the stubble sitting on the cop’s cheeks and chin, his long eyelashes resting over his cheekbones, his forehead is relaxed and his eyes are still, which reminds TK of this entire situation. Not that he needs reminding, but even those little things are unlike Carlos. 

Carlos sometimes unintentionally—unconsciously—wrinkles his forehead when he’s concentrating on something, a task or an email, just when something has his full, undivided attention. And when he’s asleep, when he’s dreaming, TK noticed that Carlos’s eyes would sometimes move under his closed eyelids. 

So this _stillness_ in front of TK right now is all wrong. In so many different ways. 

TK sighs, keeping the tears at bay and extends a hand, running his fingers through Carlos’s short curly hair. 

“I’m here, babe,” he repeats. 

*****

TK doesn’t know how much time has passed when he hears a soft knock on the door and turns to see his dad poking his head into the room. 

“Hey,” Owen whispers. 

“Hey, dad,” TK replies. 

“It’s getting late.”

“Camila?” TK asks.

“She left a bit ago, didn’t want to disturb you. Told me to tell you goodnight and she’s glad he’s got you. And to update her if anything changes.” 

A small smile spreads on TK’s face.

“Do you want to go home for the night and come back in the morning?” Owen asks. 

TK visibly tenses and hesitates. 

Knowing what that means, Owen quickly responds. “I’ll talk to the doctor, see if they can set up a bed for you for the night.”

Relief immediately floods TK’s face, his eyes appreciative. “Thanks, dad.”

“You got it, son.”

A bed for TK is set in the room shortly after, and even with numerous warnings from the nurse that it’s going to be a busy night, with frequent visits to Carlos’s room, TK decides to stay anyway.

Owen heads home and packs a bag for TK, returning to the hospital with the bag, some food and TK’s favorite iced tea. 

Owen and TK share a hug and before he leaves for the night, Owen makes TK promise to call him too if anything changes. 

**Author's Note:**

> 10-33 is Austin Police’s code for an emergency.  
> 10-73 is their code for a smoke report. 
> 
> Also, I kept searching for Carlos’s partner’s name on the show to see if it was mentioned or written anywhere, and watched slowly to try to catch a glimpse of her name tag but I didn’t succeed so I decided to name her myself. 
> 
> I might have missed it even then so if anyone happens to know her name, please let me know!


End file.
